'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#3 Vinicius Junior
From Karim Benzema asking his team-mates not to pass the ball to him, to assisting each other in match-winning goals for Real Madrid, Vinicius Junior is finally coming good. A fair share of that credit would go to Carlo Ancelloti, under whom Vinicius is thriving, in contrast to what he was doing under Zinedine Zidane.
When he first moved to Real, at the age of 18, parallels were drawn to Neymar. There was a lot of excitement about the Brazilian's ability and the fact that he had the potential to replicate Neymar's La Liga legacy. Until last season, Vinicius hadn't been particularly poor and you wouldn't say he was the reason for Madrid's loss, but clearly he wasn't answering the expectations.
Vinicius has been a little more stable this season, he's buying himself more time than rushing into dribbling past defenders and that has significantly improved his end product. He has a great pace which often allows him to leave defenders gasping for breath.
The Brazilian winger has so far scored five goals in La Liga and assisted in another two, one of which was to captain Benzema. Interestingly, of those five goals he scored, three were set up by the French forward.
#2 Kylian Mbappe
Kylian Mbappe's rise to the summit of European football has been nothing short of a fairytale. He was the third-youngest player ever to feature in a World Cup back in 2018 and with his goal in the final against Croatia becoming the youngest to do so since Pele. Talk about keeping yourself in elite company.
The French sensation had a turbulent start to the season. He wished to join Real Madrid, but Paris Saint-Germain wouldn't accept a single offer from them. Additionally, there was the risk of being overshadowed by Lionel Messi, who was clearly going to be the new star attraction at PSG.
Luckily for PSG, Mbappe hasn't had the time to switch off his form and has continued as the lethal force he is. On the scoring front one would expect him to do even more. Although four goals in eight games is by no means bad, he has made up on his part by providing three assists as well.
Mbappe is tipped to become one of the best ever players of all time and certainly has all the tools to fulfill such lofty expectations.
#1 Erling Haaland
The new hitman in Europe does not know how to stop, he he has been defying logic and doesn't know what a goal drought is. Erling Haaland has scored 68 goals in 67 appearances for Borussia Dortmund and he has no plans of slowing down either.
Bundesliga, DFB Pokal, World Cup Qualifiers, club or country, Haaland is a sucker for goals and he will do everything he can to keep his tally ticking. Since the start of the new season, the Norwegian has made a total of 9 appearances in these competitions and scored an unbelievable 15 goals.
For many seasons Robert Lewandowski was the only Bundesliga striker who was considered a force to be reckoned with in Europe, but since Haaland's arrival, the honors have been shared. Haaland has mastered the art of using his tall frame to perfection, and his long strides added to his natural pace see him disappear, leaving behind defenses.
Manchester City, Manchester United and Real Madrid will all battle fiercely for the Norwegian's signature next year, with his £68 million release clause kicking in. Safe to say, whoever snaps up the Hitman will never suffer from a deficiency of goals again.
